E Cigarettes: Fact or Fiction?

_An electronic or e-cigarette is a battery powered device which heats
liquid nicotine which can then be inhaled into the lungs . E-cigarettes
contain nicotine, propylene glycol and other chemicals. The nicotine
content is variable and the amount of nicotine getting to the lungs is
also variable.

The first electronic cigarette can be traced to
Herbert A. Gilbert, who in 1963 patented a device described as "a
smokeless non-tobacco cigarette" that involved "replacing burning
tobacco and paper with heated, moist, flavoured air". This device heated
the nicotine solution and produced steam. It was never sold to the
public. In the early 2000s Chinese scientists developed the modern
e-cigarette. This design produces a smoke-like vapour that can be
inhaled to the lungs and in this way nicotine gets to the blood
stream. Electronic cigarettes have received much attention in recent
years as their use increased across Europe. The use of e-cigarettes has
doubled between 2008 and 2012. Nearly half of all smokers and ex smokers
in the USA have tried e-cigarettes. As the devices are relatively new,
there is little long-term evidence detailing the potential harm or
benefit that these devices can cause. Therefore it was with great
interest that the latest evidence on the potential benefits and risks of
e-cigarettes was presented this week at the European Respiratory
Society (ERS) International Congress in Munich(#ERS2014). At ERS,
the 22,000 delegates, looked at research that casts some doubts on the
benefit of e-cigarettes. One of the studies showed the effects of
e-cigarettes which establishes a link between the devices and asthma and
emphysema in animal models. Another study showed that e‐cigarettes were
found to cause similar changes to the cells in the lungs that are seen
with normal cigarettes. Further research found that the devices could be
used as a successful quitting aid. E-cigarettes were found to be a
safer alternative to conventional smoking in asthmatic patients. A
number of e-cigarettes are offered in flavours that can be particularly
attractive to adolescents. This may explain why nearly half of 12 -19
year olds in France had tried e-cigarettes. Interestingly 1 in 7 of
these adolescents had never smoked tobacco! This leads to concerns
regarding e-cigarettes as an introduction to conventional smoking. There
are also concerns that e-cigarettes are once again normalising smoking
and making it more socially acceptable.
The
European Respiratory Society and the World Health Organization (WHO)
are opposed to the use of unregulated e-cigarettes. While the short-term
negative impact on health appears not as great as tobacco cigarettes,
the long-term effects of e-cigarettes are not known. Furthermore, there
is a clear need for more independent research to find out both potential
benefits and risks of these products. In
March 2014 the European Union introduced a tobacco directive which will
require e-cigarette manufacturers to adhere to industry specific
standards e-cigarettes. While e-cigarettes are not currently covered by
the smoking ban in Ireland some organisations like the HSE have banned
E-cigarette use on their grounds. This
story has long way to run. Available evidence suggests that
c-cigarettes are safer than conventional smoking however there is enough
evidence to suggest that they do still damage our lungs in a similar
way to cigarettes. More proof is needed regarding the effectiveness and
safety of e-cigarettes in the long term. We should not underestimate the
addictive power of nicotine products. Therefore other than short term
use as an aid to quit smoking e-cigarette use should be discouraged.